or man who
was hiding in the gin-house, and about his being so hungry.

"An' I tol' 'im I'd bring 'im the picnic," concluded Dumps; and Diddie,
being the gentlest and kindest-hearted little girl imaginable, at once
consented to that plan; and, leaving Tot with the little negroes in the
woods, the two children took their baskets, and went higher up the
ditch, on pretence of finding a good place to set the table; but, as
soon as they were out of sight, they cut across the grove, and were soon
at the gin-house. They entered the pick-room cautiously, and closed the
door behind them, The man came out from his hiding-place, and the little
girls emptied their baskets in his hands.

He ate ravenously, and Diddie and Dumps saw with pleasure how much he
enjoyed the nice tarts and sandwiches and cakes that Mammy had provided
for the picnic.

"Do you sleep here at night?" asked Diddie.

"Yes, honey, I'se skyeert ter go out anywhar; I'se so skyeert uv
Tight-fis' Smith."

"He's awful mean, ain't he?" asked Dumps.

"Dat he is, chile," replied the man; "he's cruel an' bad."

"Then don't you ever go back to him," said Dumps. "You stay right here
an' me'n Diddie'll bring you ev'y-thing ter eat, an' have you fur our
nigger."

The man laughed softly at that idea, but said he would stay there for
the present, anyway; and the children, bidding him good-bye, and telling
him they would be sure to bring him something to eat the next day, went
back to their playmates at the ditch.

"Tot," said Diddie, "we gave all the picnic away to a poor old man who
was very hungry; but you don't mind, do you? we'll go back to the
house, and Mammy will give you just as many cakes as you want."

Tot was a little bit disappointed, for she had wanted to eat the picnic
in the woods; but Diddie soon comforted her, and before they reached the
house she was as merry and bright as any of them.

The next morning Diddie and Dumps were very much perplexed to know how
to get off to the gin-house without being seen. There was no difficulty
about obtaining the provisions; their mother always let them have
whatever they wanted to have tea-parties with, and this was their excuse
for procuring some slices of pie and cake, while Aunt Mary gave them
bread and meat, and Douglass gave them some cold buttered biscuit with
ham between.

They wrapped it all up carefully in a bundle, and then, watching their
chances, they slipped off from Tot and the little darkies, as